Advice and guidance for new and existing food businesses

Where can I get advice and guidance for my food business?

We provide links below to various partner web sites, such as the Food Standards Agency and Defra, with detailed advice and guidance across a wide range of food and feed related topics.

New businesses can expect to receive direct help and guidance from the council for their first 12 months of operation following registration.

Established businesses needing more detailed advice and direct assistance may need to seek this through the assistance of trade associations, industry specialists or private sector consultant services. 

In all cases, when the council's food services officers visit businesses, they may identify shortfalls in legal compliance, give instruction and guidance on how to meet legal requirements and may make other good practice recommendations to help businesses maintain high standards.

The food services quarterly e-newsletter 'Food Focus' offers a range of food related news and advice on emerging issues. Businesses can subscribe for free.

Do I need to register my food business with the council?

The main purpose of the registration process is to let the council know where premises are and what type of business is being operated. In this way we can ensure that every premise receives an inspection and resources can be allocated and targeted in the appropriate areas.

Food businesses in the East Riding must register with the council at least 28 days before opening – registration is free.  Registration applies to most types of food business, including catering businesses run from home and mobile or temporary premises, such as stalls and vans.

If you have more than one premises, you will need to register all of them.

The food business register

The food business register is a public document that lists most of the food businesses in the East Riding.

Registering a food business

You can apply to register your food business online:

Apply to register your food business online

How and when will my food business be inspected?

All food businesses are subject to inspection when they start trading and at regular intervals afterwards, according to the risk they present.

Find out more about  food safety inspections and food standards inspections. 

Do I need food hygiene training and where can I find it?

If you run, or plan to run a food business it is essential that you have a good understanding of food hygiene. 

The following document provides a current list of food hygiene training providers within the East Riding.

List of food hygiene training providers (pdf 66kb opens in new window)

Where can I get food safety advice? 

The council produces a range of advice notes covering more specific information on particular food safety issues which can be accessed below:

Where can I get food labelling and allergy advice?

The council is committed to helping food businesses by providing links to the main guidance for food labelling and allergen information below:

Business type

Food and drink

For a guide to what the law says on preparing and selling food and drink, including hygiene, composition, labelling and packing:

Business companion - Food and drink quick guide (external website)

Allergens

For advice on guidance on implementing, promoting and complying with the allergen legislation:

Food Standards Agency - Allergens information and guidance (external website)

Catering

For advice on the essentials of food labelling for caterers, including some commonly misdescribed examples:

Business companion - Food labelling for caterers (external website)

Fruit and vegetables

For a guide to the essentials of food labelling for the greengrocer, including the use of variety and organic:

Business companion - Food labelling for greengrocers (external website)

Meat

For a guide to the food labelling essentials that a butcher needs to know, including composition of meat products:

Business companion - Food labelling for butchers (external website)

Fish

For legal names of species and use of industry specific terms to help fishmongers with labelling:

Business companion- Food labelling for fishmongers (external website)

Baking

For the food-labelling essentials that a baker needs to know, including meat pies and sausage rolls:

Business companion- Food labelling for bakers (external website)

Herbal medicine and health foods

For advice on how the law applies to products sold in herbal medicine and health shops including food supplements, cosmetics and products of animal origin:

Business companion- Herbal medicine and health food shop (external website)

Product type

Pre-packed food

For the labelling requirements for packaged food products, including claims and nutritional labelling:

Business companion - Labelling of prepacked foods (external website)

Sweets

For advice on labelling of sweets including the specific rules for chocolate:

Business companion - Labelling of sweets (external website)

Beef

For advice on the EU Compulsory Beef Labelling Scheme:

Business companion - Labelling of beef (external website)

Composition of meat

For guidance on the difference between meat and meat products, and what is meant by a reserved description:

Business companion - Composition of meat products (external website)

Preserves

For guidance on the rules for the labelling and composition of jam, marmalade, mincemeat and other similar products:

Business companion - Labelling of jam and similar products (external website)

Honey

For information about the labelling requirements for honey producers:

Business companion - Labelling of honey (external website)

Sandwiches

For sandwich labelling information:

Business companion - Sandwich labelling (external website)

Eggs (direct sale)

For guidance on labelling for egg producers who sell directly to the consumer:

Business companion - Egg producers selling directly to consumer (external website)

Eggs (retail sale)

For the specific requirements of the marking of eggs for the retail sales, including descriptions and size:

Business companion - Retail sale and labelling of egg (external website)

Weights and measures labelling

We offer information for ensuring the weights and measures on your labels are accurate on the calibration weights and measures page.

If you are a newly registered food business (registered within the previous year) and are unable to find the answer to your query in the guidance below please contact the food standards team:

Email: food.services@eastriding.gov.uk

How can I access the food services newsletter (Food Focus)?

Food Focus is our free quarterly newsletter produced by the council's food services team. 

The newsletter provides advice on current food safety and standards issues, whilst also providing information about activities within the team.

Latest issue

The latest edition of Food Focus can be accessed below:

Food Focus 42 (pdf 872kb opens in new window)

Subscribe 

Subscribe to receive issues of Food Focus

Unsubscribe

Send an email with your name and write 'Unsubscribe - Food Focus' in the subject to:

Email: food.services@eastriding.gov.uk 

Previous issues 

How do I develop a food safety management system, such as 'Safer Food Better Business'?

'Safer Food Better Business' is a free food safety management system created by the Food Standards Agency. It is designed to help small food businesses manage food safety and comply with the law. The pack can be downloaded via the link below.

Food Standards Agency - 'Safer Food Better Business' (external website)

Which other council services should I contact to make sure my business is being run correctly? 

You may need to contact several other services to help you run your business correctly.  

Examples of other services you may need to contact include: 

• health and safety
• street trading
• planning
• alcohol licensing
• waste collection
• building control
  
• business rates

What documents does the food services team produce about their performance?

Reports regarding the performance of the food services team can be accessed below: 

Where can I find food and feed guidance in relation to Brexit?

Guidance on how to prepare your business for Brexit is available on the GOV.UK website. 

This includes guides for businesses which export to or import from the European Union in the event of 'no deal':

• GOV.UK - Partnership pack: preparing for changes at the UK border after a ‘no deal’ EU Exit (external website)
  
• GOV.UK - Preparing for a ‘no deal’ EU Exit: step-by-step guide to exporting (external website) 
  
• GOV.UK - Preparing for a ‘no deal’ EU Exit: step-by-step guide to importing (external website) 
  

Technical guidance notes and information can be found on the GOV.UK website:

• GOV.UK - Health marks on meat, fish and dairy products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Producing and labelling food if there's no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Producing food products protected by a ‘geographical indication’ if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Producing and processing organic food if there's no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Importing high-risk food and animal feed if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Importing animals and animal products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Exporting animals and animal products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Exporting GM food and animal feed products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)

There is advice on the Food Standards Agency website:

Prepare your business for the UK leaving the EU - Food Standards Agency (external website)

The Food Standards Agency issued a letter, on 26 November 2018, to all Food Business Operators who export products of animal origin (POAO) to the EU, informing them of additional data requirements should they wish to continue exporting:

FSA - Letter to current exporters of animal products (pdf 387kb)